Method for producing inflatable rubber articles



METHOD FOR PRODUCING INFLATABLE RUBBER ARTICLES Filed July 15, 1946 D. G. REMPEL 4 Shts-Sheet 1 7 INVENTOR. Dz'efrzc/z G. Rem 0e! BY v Aug.- 2, 1949. D. G. REMPEL METHOD FOR PRODUCING INFLATABLE RUBBER ARTICLES Filed July 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

- INVENTOR. Die irich G. Rem 0e! BY M WM Patented Aug. 2, 1949 METHOD FORTRODUCING INFLATABLE RUBBER ARTICLES Dietrich -G=. Rempel -g-Akron Ohio assignor, by

mesne assignments to- Rempel Manufacturing, Inc., .Akr-0n 0hi0, a corporation, of Oliio i.

by. deposition of:aqueous-z-dispersions ofa rubber-or the like'k- In the past: variousattempts-shave. been. made: toform: hollow rubber: articles, for example; =by: so-called rotary casting methods, but these ate". tempts have not bee-1rcompletelysuccessful: and for thatreason: rotary: casting: methods have not I beerr generally -accepted foularge scale 1 produc.-= tiorr. The accepted practice: followed for manuzfacturingsuch hollow articlesate-present utilizes: What-is known as the blbwn vulcanizing meth- 062; wherein preformed- :hol-l'ow biscuits of sheet rubber stock areformed in sectional cavity molds, under the influence-oflheat and internal pres sure: These "blown" methodsphowever, require: extensive factory= floorspace to accommodate-:1 a vast amount of necessary equipment;

One-obj'ectof the"present invention is to provide an improved,- practicaland commercially acceptable methodand apparatus for producing inflatable hollow"rubber-crime articles of any desired- 'shapeor configuration: such balls-jathletic b-all bladders, character dolls-or-"animal's; et'cz', by means of which=-is eliminated-3 not only: certain equipment, normally required} for prod'ucihg'" the articles; buttal'so' the-necessity of pro vidin'g special molds. and other-- equipment for forming and assembling inflating-valve'means fortheparticles;

Another 1objectofthe inventiorristdprovide an improvedmethod and" apparatus-for producing hollow'arti'cle's by depQsitiQn ofarticle jfcrming' I material in. a hollowmold andhaving inserts or:

other devices integrally; formed ,interiorly' of the 2." suitable v. arrangement of equipment for carryingx outthemethodoftherinvention.

Figure; 2: is .a sidez'elevation of. a machine for ape. plying:v a preliminary 1 compound rotary; motiom touan article-formingzmold in accordance with; the method of the invention;

Figurerii is a top-p1an-..view of: a machine; for. applying a subsequent: or. secondary" compound-I rotary.motionztogthe-moldcrmoldsn:

Figure-4 isia front elevation of'the machine; shown; iniFigure3.

Figure :5. illustrates-ma ipinclor core received? through a preformediinsertof sel-fz.-sealingmat'e-. rial,; forsprovidingan inflating; valve in; a; hollow rubber-.ballior l-ikearticle; t

Figure 6 is aview illustrating-a step of: dipping: thestem and. inserlxof: Figure- 15 in latex.-

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure5:a-fterz-the;: latezedipping operation;

Figurew8 isia. fragmentary cross-sectioncta lowermoldlsection, illustrating a subsequent: step in: the" method; wherein a; predetermined volume, of latex isplacedzinithe mold'cavity;

Figurer9 i'sa similar-fragmentary.- crossrseca tion through-the closed; mold; after: apreliminam compound rotation" thereof: inthe apparatuseiofz Figurez2; :V'

Figure; 10' is a View similar to: Figure 9; partly: brokengaway, illustratingathe completely formed? article in. the closedmol'd; after it has-been sub-r jected to a secondarycompound;- rotary motion.

inthe machine-of Figures 3.:and4'.

Figure 1-1: isan; elevational ;viiew of a completed? hollour'rubber' ball, partly" broken away andins.

I sectiomzafter removal? thereof from: the: mold: of.

Figure 10; :'and'. before removal therefrom of: -theivalverinsert; supportingstern of: Figure: 5;;

Figure; 12: is an enlarged fragmentary View of the value; portion of the ballofzFigure 11, after: removalalof the valve-insert supporting, I stem: I

The improved method may bebest' described: in? connection 1 with. the operation and 1 usezof, equip -.'r mentuillustrated in certain figures, of the drawe v ings. Referring particularly to FiguI'e-L thereof; there is illustrated? semisdiagrammatically, ap paratus-rfort carrying: outw the method of theinsv vention; the' same' including a latex' dippingttankz A, a latexmeasuring and. supplying" devicerB"; a: primary; moldrotating machine-G, a-.s'econdaryr mold-rotating machine, D, and: a drying chamelbereEx In carrying out; theamethodyas; for examples t'o-i produce; an; inflatable hollowwrulober: ball zH'f ofthetype: best. illustratedtin Figures 11.1mm 12;; a pin: on stenn lea mayzhavelplaceot thereorr-aa pres-x shaped insert I6, of unvulcanizable, rubber or other material of the type which is self-sealing upon being punctured as by a pointed implement, the insert being located at a predetermined distance from one end of the stem, and then the stem may be dipped to predetermined depth in a tank H of latex l8 as shown in Figure 8. The term latex includes aqueous dispersion of rubber or synthetic elastomers. This operation may be repeated as necessary to form a deposit |9 of desired thickness of latex about the insert l6 (see Figure 7).

Next, the lower half or section of a twopart cavity mold 2|, composed of porous material, is mounted on a horizontally positioned plate 22, of a mold support 23 of the mold rotating machine C, the plate 22 being journalled in a sleeve 24 to rotate on a horizontal axis, and the sleeve 24 being pivotally mounted at 25 to supporting bracket 26 to be swingable to move the mold support 23 toward and from the latex measuring and supplying device B. In the chain-dotted position of the mold-supporting plate 23, indicated at C1 in Figure 1, a predetermined volume of rubber latex, or like aqueous dispersion of rubber or synthetic elastomer, is supplied to each of a plurality of article forming cavities 23a, 23a in the lower mold half 2|], as indicated at 21 in Figure 8. Prior to this operation or simultaneously therewith the latex-dipped pins I5 and inserts thereon of Fig ure '7 may be placed in suitable recesses provided in the parting face of the lower mold section with the inserts l6 projecting inwardly of the mold cavities to a predetermined extent. Washers or collars 28 are provided on the pins for engagement in correspondingly recessed portions in the upper andlower mold sections for so locating the inserts I6.

Immediately upon supplying said predetermined volumes of latex 21 to the lower mold cavities the mold-holding apparatus C is swung away from the filling device B, to a position in which the upper mold section 200. may be readily placed in registry on the lower mold. section 20, and then a releasable clamping device 29 is operated with respect to the support 23 to retain the mold sections thereon in tightly closed relation. In this last-named closed position of the mold it is engaged between a disc 30 rotatably mounted on the plate 22 and a coaxial disc 3| yieldingly and rotatably mounted on the shiftable' clamping device 29, the common axis of the discs being at right angles to the axis upon which the support 23 rotates in sleeve 24. Immediately after filling the lower mold cavities with the latex 21 the closed mold 2| may be manually rotated relatively of the support 23 about said axis of the discs, simultaneously with manual rotation of said support 23 about the axis of the sleeve 24, thereby applying a compound rotary movement to the mold about the two axes. Although this preliminary compound rotary movement preferably is applied as quickly as possible after the latex pouring step the rotary motion is slow enough that bubbles will not form on the surface of the mold cavity. The movement described is efiective to spread a thin deposit or skin-coating of the article-forming material 21 about the surfaces of the mold cavities at the earilest possible time after the latex is poured into the same. The quick preliminary coating step prevents the creation of defects in the nature of fissures in the outer surfaces of the deposited articles, caused by surface tension and/or premature gellation or drying of the fluid material around the peripheries of the mold cavities at the surfaces of the fluid bodies of latex therein (see Figure 8). The formation of such defects in the manner described is extremely objectionable, as in most instances they render the articles commercially unacceptable.

Although the improved latex deposition method, particularly as applied to the use of the foregoing preliminary mold rotating step, is adapted to be carried out in molds of substantially any kind of material, the method may be most satisfactorily carried out with the use of porous molds. For this purpose, the molds may be made very economically of plaster of Paris, clay, or like material which in molded form is sufficiently porous to aid deposition of the latex by capillary attraction, and, yet which is of such nature that the article-forming cavity surfaces will have requisite smoothness for making correspondingly smooth surfaced articles.

When once the preliminary skin-coatings 32 have been deposited about the interior of the mold cavities as best illustrated in Figure 9, the secondary rotary article-forming step may be accomplished in a more liesurely manner in the mold rotating machine D (see Figures 1,2, 3 and 4).

Accordingly, while the preliminary mold rotating action is taking place the mold rotating device 'C may be shifted to the full-line position thereof shown in Figure 3', to be relatively closely adjacent the secondary mold rotating machine D. At this point the mold 2| is removed from the mold-holding device 23, and while the sections of the mold are retained in close registering position it is placed in the rotating machine D for a secondary relatively slow compound rotary casting operation. One or more molds 2| may be moved from the device C to the machine D in succession, as by means of a hoist or other means, until the machine D is filled to capacity with molds. In the present instance the machine D is illustrated as containing two such molds, the same'being stacked between spaced plates 35 and 36, coaxially rotatably mounted on spaced cross-pieces 31 and 38 of a rectangular frame 39, which is in turn supported on spaced brackets 40 andf4| to rotate about a horizontal axis at right angles to the axis of rotation of the plates 35 and 36. The cross-piece 38 may be releasably shiftable outwardly of the frame, by suitable means as shown or otherwise, to permit such stacking or removal of molds from the frame. A suitable device 4|a is provided in association with plate 36 to apply clamping action thereto for holding the molds tightly together. For rotating the mold supporting frame 39 about its horizontal axis, a relatively fixed shaft extension 42 therefrom has a gear 43 keyed thereto to be driven, through a chain 44 and sprocket 45, by suitable motor 46. To the end that the molds 2|, together with the discs 35 and 36 may be rotated about an axis angularly of said horizontal axis, a shaft extension 41 from disc 35 has a bevel gear connection 48 with a shaft 49 carried by the frame 39. and a spur gear 50 on a free end of the shaft 49 engages a fixed relatively larger gear 5| secured to the fixed support 4|. This arrangement is such that as the motor 46 drives gear 43 to rotate the frame 39 about the horizontal axis, and this rotational movement of the frame carries spur gear 50 around fixed gear 5|, said gear 50 is thereby driven to rotate shaft 49, and through bevel gears 48 applying rotary motion to themolds about an axis at right angles amma toithe axisr-ofzrotation of the firamerfls: 'Ilrercome poundzrotaryzmotion:thusaattainedinzmachinecD is;:seladizvely1slow;v as for: example.:.approximately ones revolution-1 per; minutes abouti: each. {of r the two axes, preferably with a slight differential-in then speeds; about :the respective: axes-7:110: assure completewniform latexr: coverage: .of '1- all :ca-vity surtace: areas; Highly; satisfactory resultsihave been: attained by :rotating= ath'e .-.mol-ds.: one :revo1u-rtiomper-minute about one axis-andzonesand" one qtiarter ;-revolutions;:per minute: about: the other axis;::orr otherwise: in accordance'with". particular conditions or requirements; The: compound: ro taryractionzprovidedtzby themachineiDxis effective. totdeposit: .the 1 remainder 1 of .the. article-forming latexrbody-z'l about the interior. of themoldicavitiesioyer-tthe; previously deposited skinecoating. -3 2-; assweil: 1101 apply .a requisite/thickness Y of addie tiorraliol'atex' overtheself-se'aling insert: It: (see Figures-10). r

Italiaszbeen. found alsoxthat in. formingnhollow-v rubberzsarticljesin. particular, the setting-orgell-z ingaction of thelatex' onthe moldcavity surface is..rela.-tiyelyrapid duringzthe initiarcompound rotational.movementssof the mold; and that as.

the rotational movement iscontinued the rate of speed ":of: the setting on gelling .action' becomes slower. andzslower: until: itLleVels off to: a constant relatively-slow gelling action.- This: nodoubt ac countszfor; the improved? success of the present bod-y inthe moldwould-be at a-inaximum imme-- diaitelyiafter'the latex is poured into-the mold.

After the secondary compound rotary action h-als'-beencarried-out in machine D for a substantiahperiod of time, which may-vary according to the thickness required in-the= completed ball; the machine is stopped andthe molds therein :maybeallowed to continue what may bet'ermed -aself-curing period, the characteristic" of=which--is inherent in most rubber or rubber lik materials; During this: period the rubber wil-l acquire full. elastic strength, and this par ticular phase of the process may be accomplished whilethearticl'esare in the molds orafterthe'y areremo-ved 'therefrom;fbut* the-curing time may be --considerably reduced-by placing the molds in a heated oven or drying chamber E (Figure 11). For example, rubber articles may be completely cured, in chamber 13,- maintained at. a temperature of approximately: 200-:-F.,- in about; four hours.

Because the formed wall of the rubber article adheres tenaciously to thecavity surfaces of the porous.. molds. .during...the rota-forming pro=-: cedure; no internal. pressure: is required-to hold thetarticles in shape. against shrinkage upon-setting-.or-gelling. VIhen heat is applied in'chamber Elias described toshorten the'curing period the consequent: internal pressure, due :to heated air ihi thevarticl es, holdsthesameto full size and shape; 5 Uponthe fully cured articles being recurrently "with; the: =.ball-forming operations; is veryreconomicaltcas @compared with other. Welleknown; methods; which. usually irequ-ire. the valve part to be molded separately..-

Its. wilhibejr readilyz-seen that. the .zabovejedea scribedemethod for providing anrinflating valve man: be utilized for'..providing other. types of. hold-ow articlzes witl'r.inserts, suchaa-s an attaching insertvor plate-1 .(not'. shown). Similarly; in the: case of a: ball; or. other: article,; anintegralzw-histle orrnoiseemaking device maybe. provided, by sub: stit'uting: for .thez self-sealing material on---pin -..l 5; ariiin'sert of;v preeshapedzwaxori other heat-fusible materials .As: no heatais neoessar-ilytutilized in. the rubber deposition steps of -.the..article-.fiorm-;

ingzprocediureg: theiiwax; core -is. not. affected-during :the: article-forming: steps; and. is easily." res-v m-ovecr from-sthe complete dnarticle. byzapplicatiom of:hea t:- to" fuse the rcorentherebyc toi provide zan inward: projection:asshowninFiguree 12; but with a :holiow::soundemakingi' chamber: in: spaces 0c cupiediiby::thminsert. Ther aligned? apertures formed: by the pin. l'5- in such case permits passage'cgof .wair; through said .soundchamber .in knoivnlmannertof such devices.

\ Although the improved process: has .been d'e scribed particularly iniconnectionwith. the-proa I Similarlya-the' improved process: may be suc-= oessfiuily employed". in the production 1 of articlesfrom materials; other-l than rubber, with: inserts o-fivariousrshapes andasizesrembedded in the walls thereof; iWhBI'ei .the rarticle forming materialis adapted to be supplied in an aqueous? solution: capableizof lself-setting or gellingiin a porous moldar. I

The'nherein; described method in accomplishingthelstatediobjects of thelinventionmakes possi b'liithfi production of hollow. articles which could" notaibez produced heretofore by other know-n method'sfin The :resultifng-products-are not only of superior: quality; but: can: be produced at greatly: r-educedicost, .asrcomparedi with: said known prion mthGdSl1::

Modifioa-tionsof the invention: beresorted to; without departing from the spirit thereof or the-ass ope of? the-appended; claims.

a vilhat'sisclaimed isz' I. A method of= producing hollow articles comprising the steps of providing a sectional cavity mold of porous material and a predeterminately shaped insert positioned in the mold cavity in spaced relation to the surface thereof and coated with material on which latex aqueous dispersion material is capable of being deposited because of an inherent affinity for the coating material,

applying rotative movement to said mold about a plurality of angularly disposed axes while containing latex aqueous dispersion material and thereby to deposit a predetermined thickness of the same in successive accreted layerings over the article-forming surface portions of the mold cavity by capillary movement of water outwardly through the mold pores and evaporation at the outer mold surface portions, said rotative movement simultaneously depositing a thickness of the dispersion material over said coated insert.

2. A method of producing hollow articles comprising the steps of providing a sectional cavity mold of porous material and a predeterminately shaped insert positioned within the mold cavity in spaced relation to the surface thereof and coated with rubber on which latex aqueous dispersion material is capable of being deposited because of an inherent afiinity thereof for the rubber coating, applying rotative movement to said mold about a plurality of angularly disposed axes while containing a predetermined quantity of latex aqueous dispersion material and thereby to deposit the same in successive accreted layerings over the article-forming surface portions of the mold cavity by capillary movement of water outwardly through the mold pores and evaporation at the outer mold surface portions, and said rotative movement simultaneously depositing a thickness of the dispersion material over said coated insert.

3. A method of producing hollow articles having an inflation device, comprising the steps of dipping a pre-shaped self-sealing puncturable insert one or more times in a liquid having bonding aifinity for said element and for latex to form a coating of the bonding liquid over the insert, positioning said insert in a sectional cavity mold of porous material to be inwardly spaced from the mold cavity surface, placing in said mold a predetermined quantity of latex aqueous dispersion material and thereafter applying compound rotary motion to said mold about a plurality of angularly disposed axes to deposit the dispersion material over the surface portions of the mold cavity in successive accreted layerings by capillary removal of water outwardly through the mold pores and evaporation at the outer mold surfaces, said rotary motion also being efiective to deposit a thickness of dispersion material over said coated insert, removing the resulting article from said mold with said insert incorporated in the article.

' 4. A method of producing hollow articles having an inflation device, comprising the steps of dipping a pre-shaped self-sealing puncturable insert one or more times in latex to form a coating thereof over the insert, positioning said insert in a sectional cavity mold of porous material to be inwardly spaced from the mold cavity surface, placing in said mold a predetermined quantity of latex aqueous dispersion material and thereafter applying compound rotary motion to said mold about a plurality of angularly disposed axes to deposit the latex over the surface portions of the mold cavity in successive accreted layerings by capillary removal of water outwardly through the mold pores and evaporation at the outer mold surfaces and simultaneously depositing an additional thickness of dispersion material over said coated insert and removing the resulting article from said mold with said insert incorporated in the article.

5. A method of producing hollow articles comprising the steps of dipping a predeterminately shaped insert one or more times in a body of latex aqueous dispersion material, to form a coating thereof on the insert, attaching said dipped insert in a sectional cavity mold of porous material to project inwardly of the cavity surface thereof, supplying a quantity of latex aqueous dispersion material to said mold cavity, applying rotative movement to said mold about a plurality of angularly disposed axes to deposit a thickness of said dispersion material in successive accreted layerings over the surface of the mold cavity by capillary attraction of water from the dispersion material outwardly through the mold pores and evaporation at the outer mold surface portions, a thickness of the dispersion material integral with the first-named thickness thereof being deposited over said projecting insert by the inherent affinity of the deposited latex with respect to said coating on the insert.

6. A method of producing a hollow article hav ing an inflation device incorporated therein, comprising the steps of removably placing on a stem an insert of self-sealing puncturable material in the nature of non-vulcanizable rubber, dipping said insert at least once in a liquid having a bonding affinity for said insert material and for latex aqueous dispersion material, removably positioning said stem in a sectional cavity mold of porous material to have said insert presented inwardly of the mold cavity surface, applying compound rotary motion to said mold about angularly disposed axes while the mold contains a predetermined quantity of latex aqueous dispersion material, thereby to deposit the dispersion material in successive accreted layerings over said mold cavity surface portions by capillary removal of water from the dispersion material outwardly through the mold pores and evaporation at the outer mold surface portions, and simultaneously depositing a thickness of the dispersion material over the surface of said insert, removing the formed article from the mold, and removing said stem from said self-sealing insert in the article.

DIETRICH G. REMPEL.

REFERENCES C ITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 15,641 Emery July 3, 1923 803,799 Voelke Nov. 7, 1905 1,263,141 Strauss Apr. 16, 1918 1,538,789 Flemming May 19, 1925 1,573,577 Roberts Feb. 16, 1926 1,998,897 Kay Apr. 23, 1935 2,230,151 Winder Jan. 28, 1941 2,338,827 Teague et al Jan. 11, 1944 

